A poster for the food doc “Fed Up” sends an unambiguous message about the state of eating in America. (Photo provided by Linhart PR)

The fourth annual Sustainable Food Film Series kicks off tonight, and it’s not alone in offering in-depth, nuanced, often political views on modern eating.

The Chipotle-sponsored film series begins with the Thursday, Sept. 11 screening of “A Place at the Table,” which looks at different sides of hunger in America, followed by the documentaries “GMO OMG” (Tuesday, Sept. 23), “Food Patriots” (Oct. 15) and “Fed Up” (Nov. 7).

All take varying degrees of critical, progressive looks at how, why and what we eat — and the way it’s shaped by industrial farming practices, profit-driven corporate marketing and the growing movement toward local growing and eating.

Screenings, which cost $5, begin at 6:30 p.m. and include (naturally) a Chipotle dinner beforehand. All take place at Mitchell Hall at Denver Botanic Gardens. Advance registration is encouraged.

They’re not the only food-conscious shows Denver metro residents can check out in the coming weeks.

For community and backyard gardeners across Denver, it’s harvest season, and the pounds of produce are accumulating fast. And increasingly, thanks to a young-but-growing initiative called Produce for Pantries, the vegetable bounty isn’t limited to the kitchens of those who do the gardening.

About 40 gardeners in and around the city have registered with Produce for Pantries, which has about 15 official partner organizations, to donate part of their harvest to area food pantries and hunger relief organizations.

Colorado State University’s vet school has a steaks vs. olive oil bet going with its University of California-Davis rival in the upcoming gridiron showdown. (Courtesy CSU)

Who ever heard of a gridiron grudge match between two rival…veterinary schools? But here it is: Those respective departments at Colorado State University and the University of California-Davis are in a smackdown about the upcoming meeting of their universities’ football teams, the CSU Rams and the Cal-Davis Fighting Whachamacallems. The game is this Saturday, Sept. 13.

At stake: Ribeyes from the CSU Meat Lab — yes, there is such a thing — and premium olive oil from California. (Hmmm…can anyone say “Bistecca alla Florentine”?)

The wager is between the deans of the two vet schools, CSU’s Dr. Mark Stetter and UC-Davis’ Dr. Michael Lairmore.

“I plan to have my steak and eat it, too,” Stetter announced in a press release. “The Rams are favored in the football game, and I’d rather have interdigital phlegmon than see our rivals best us in the VetBet challenge.”

Another comfort-food event in the high country is expanding in its third year.

Whiskey and Wings Grill Fest, which takes place in the Village at Winter Park on Saturday, Sept. 6, is beefing up its offerings this year with the help of Dana Cain Events — the company behind the Denver County Fair, Colorado Chocolate Festival, Vintage Voltage Expo and more.

This year’s five-hour festival has added “a variety of grilled foods and even desserts on top of the already popular samples of chicken wings and unique whiskeys,” according to a press release.

Public sampling and voting will be backed with live music, a human chicken contest (hint: practice your clucking now), the de rigueur wing-eating contest, a name-that-meat “mystery eating” contest, and a festival-ending winner announcement.

Ramen is moving from the dorm to restaurants, but you can also customize it for home dining. (Denver Post photo by Cyrus McCrimmon)

While many an American table is familiar with occasional meals where personalized tastes make up a plate (think Taco Tuesday), in Asian cuisine that idea is common. Rather than rely on the one-dimensional family-style dishes we’re familiar with, in Korean Barbecue, Japanese Shabu Shabu, and Ramen noodle bars, the taste of the person eating dictates the outcome.

Lovers of Korean Barbeque will head to local award-winner Dae Gee. The Westminster restaurant, whose porcine logo is its namesake, is opening another location in September. Per tradition, Galbee ribs are made to order on a tabletop grill, while a flurry of tiny side dishes known as banchan dot the table. The sides vary from spicy Korean sauerkraut (kim chee) to garlicky broccoli kissed with sesame oil, potato salad, and tofu in chili sauce that can be sampled as the meat cooks or enjoyed over rice as desired. 7570 Sheridan Blvd., Westminster; 720-540-0700 daegee.com

Highland Tap & Burger’s “Shroom Luva’s” sandwich was named one of Zagat’s top burgers in America. (Courtesy Zagat)

Well, Denver burgers finally got some love in a national survey — by the folks at Zagat, the restaurant guide.

Highland Tap & Burger got a shout-out as the Mile High City’s top purveyor of grilled ground beef, specifically with its “Shroom Luva’s” tribute to sauteed mushrooms. The burger also boasts a white truffle oil aioli and Emmenthal cheese. It’s $10, and for an extra $11 you can pile on some foie gras. No word on whether a defibrillator comes with the latter upgrade.

Colorado Table readers might remember that in early June, no Denver restaurant made the cut of the 101 best burgers restaurants in America in a survey compiled by The Daily Meal, a website reputed to contain all things food and wine.

As Denver restaurant consultant John Imbergamo rightly complained: “For 365 days of the year, we have to live with the moniker ‘cowtown,’ and The Daily Meal can’t even cite one burger from here? That’s total bull.”

Cured, a cheese and charcuterie shop in Boulder, is selling food-packed musette bags for the USA Pro Cycling Challenge. (Photo courtesy of Cured)

You might not be able to ride like a competitor in the USA Pro Cycling Challenge, but Cured in Boulder is making sure you can eat like one — right down to the shoulder-slung musette bags.

The bags, bearing the logo of the Boulder-based Garmin-Sharp Pro Cycling Team, resemble the musette bags used by U.S. Army infantrymen in World War II. Competitive cyclists are often handed the food-filled bags during races, and the folks at Cured — a cheese and charcuterie shop 1825 Pearl St. in Boulder — is packing them with sandwiches, drinks, chips, cookies and an apple for cycling fans. (The seventh and final leg of the Colorado road race runs Sunday from Boulder to Denver.)

Cured’s musette bags are the brainchild of co-owner Will Frischkorn, a former pro cyclist who competed in the Tour de France. So he knows something about race-day hunger pains.

The musette lunch bags go for $20. For more information, you can check out curedboulder.com or call the shop at 720-389-8096.

A bourbon on the rocks at the Cooper Lounge at the newly renovated Union Station in Denver, Co. which evokes the glamour, style and sophistication of the 1930s and pays homage to end of Prohibition. (Photo by Marc Piscotty)

Tucked just above the station’s Terminal Bar, there’s little evidence of the Cooper from the floor of the bustling Great Hall. Perhaps a person sipping a drink in the Lounge will peer over the balcony, but other than that, there’s nothing obvious pointing thirsty visitors in the right direction.

Except — there, on the southwest side of the Hall — a small heap of trunks and a pretty lady in black sitting at a desk. Go talk to her, and if you’re game, another pretty lady will escort you up a quiet staircase to the second floor of the building. She’ll guide you to your low table and plush seats, then disappear again.

Certainly, this has the air of the speakeasy. More than that, though, it’s a refuge for big spenders with a nostalgia streak – the luxury of a high-end airline lounge in the elegant ambience of Denver’s renewed train depot.

The service is friendly. The drink menu comes on an iPad and is easy to navigate. Many of the cocktails are little riffs on the classics: A “Palisade Sour” mixes eau-de-vie (from Palisade’s Peach Street Distillers) with egg white, lemon juice, simple syrup and bitters.

“Love Stinks” was a big hit for the J. Geils Band back in the day, and a burger by the same name — courtesy of Crave Real Burgers — was a big hit at the recent Denver Burger Battle.

The burger won both the People’s Choice and Judges’ Choice awards on Aug. 11, a nice affirmation for Jeff Richard, the restaurant’s co-owner and co-founder. “We’re elated to win both trophies, especially for our employees,” Richard said in an email.

Using Colorado Proud chuck, the burger patty is topped with roasted garlic cream cheese, more roasted garlic, fried onion strings, roasted red pepper, candied bacon and red pepper aioli. Restaurant staffers were polite enough to provide a mint with the entry to counter the effects of the garlic.

This was the fifth year for the Aug. 7 contest, which drew about 1,200 people and pitted 12 local eateries against each other. Local chefs Jeff Osaka, Paul Reilly, Justic Cucci and Theo Adley were the judging panel.

The Holy Shiitake pizza is one of the 40th anniversary specials offered by Mellow Mushroom on Aug. 20. (Courtesy Mellow Mushroom)

Good news for pizza fans: Mellow Mushroom celebrates its 40th anniversary on Aug. 20 with throwback prices that harken back to the silly ’70s. (OK, given that the date comes just 11 days after the 40th anniversary of Richard Nixon’s resignation in the wake of the Watergate scandal, the ’70s weren’t so silly after all…)

But the prices will make you smile. For one day, a small cheese pizza will cost you $2.50; Pabst Blue Ribbon, Budweiser and Michelob beers will go for 75 cents, and Coca-Cola products will cost you all of 30 cents.

The restaurant will also host a contest for customers to win a trip to Amsterdam for two.

Founded in Atlanta, where it’s still based, Mellow Mushroom today has 170 stores in 18 states. A Denver location is located at 1201 16th St. There are also shops at 2154 E. Commons Ave in Centennial and at 9271 Park Meadows Drive in Lone Tree.